Over the Hill?

Over the Hill?, a video, print and web project by the Hereford-based Rural Media Company, documents eight exemplary schemes around the country that support older people living in rural areas.

Pictured above is 89 year-old Les Spicer, who lives alone in an isolated, book-lined cottage on the outskirts of Norwich. Under a ‘Money Matters’ programme, run by Age UK Norfolk, volunteer adviser Marion Billham visits each week to help deal with bills and other mail.

The Lincolnshire County Council CallConnect bus (below), is part of an extraordinary on-demand service that makes use of specialist software to draw up routes that vary day-to-day, in response to phoned-in requests. CallConnect allows people of all ages to book a bus from their village into town and back, at a time that suits them, and has proved to be of particular benefit to the elderly.

Both local government and the voluntary sector will be hard hit by the coalition’s public spending cuts. It would be a great shame if lifeline services such as these were to suffer as a result.

Over the Hill? is scheduled for release in early 2011. More pictures here.